Chen Qing took the most vicious beating and whispered the sappiest sweet nothings to Zhaxi

This is the true patron who can withstand a massive army and provide him with unparalleled power and support!

Chen Qing's throat went dry, and the fear and resentment in his eyes were completely thrown to the winds at this moment, replaced by two scorching beams of light that could ignite dry grass.

He fell in love again.

Zhaxi Dawa pulled the short knife from the cutting board, rubbed the blade against the sole of his boot, and walked down the steps with heavy steps.

The leather combat boots stopped a foot away from Chen Qing.

He bent down, looking down at the emaciated prisoner from the Central Plains, and spoke in a cold, awkward Mandarin.

"You Central Plains dog, who sent you? Where did you get these blueprints? If you tell even half a lie, I'll skin you alive and feed you to the eagles."

An ordinary scout would have been so terrified by such a menacing aura that he would have wet himself.

Chen Qing was not afraid at all. Instead, he struggled to straighten his back and even smiled with great elegance.

"Oh dear, General, you're being too polite."

Chen Qing knelt on the ground, looked up, and gazed tenderly at the hideous scar on the ground, her voice so soft it could melt water.

"This humble servant... oh no, this humble servant is Chen Qing, the chief strategist of the Great Yan Prince An's Residence!"

I risked my life to deliver these blueprints as a token of my respect to you, General!

Zhaxi Dawa's wrist, which was holding the knife, twitched almost imperceptibly.

He was a seasoned veteran, having killed countless people. He had seen those who begged for mercy and cried out, those who cursed and swore, and those who stubbornly bit off their tongues and committed suicide.

I've never seen anything like this before—a monster tied up and thrown on the ground, winking and flirting at me.

Something's not right!

This person is definitely up to no good!

Inside the tent, several Tubo guards exchanged bewildered glances, their grips on the hilts of their swords loosening slightly.

Chen Qing sniffed, his gaze passing over Zhaxi Dawa's waist, and then he looked disdainfully at a bowl of mare's milk wine on the low table next to him.

"General, I didn't mean to be nosy."

Chen Qing sighed, her face full of heartache and concern.

"Your servants are really bad at serving people."

With the snow raging and the weather freezing, how could the mare's milk wine not be heated up?

Drinking this kind of beverage is extremely harmful to the stomach and spleen.

When I have some free time later, I will definitely cook for the General myself, using old ginger and brown sugar to simmer a pot of piping hot, warming wine..."

Zhaxi Dawa's face instantly turned as black as the bottom of a pot.

The air inside the tent seemed to freeze instantly.

Several Tubo guards stared wide-eyed, their scimitars hovering in mid-air, their eyes practically bulging out of their sockets.

Having fought alongside Zhaxi Dawa for years across snow-capped mountains and desolate plains, they were accustomed to the neighing of warhorses and the screams of enemies. Had they ever heard such a cloying and strange tune before?

Zhaxi Dawa's chest heaved violently, and the three hideous knife scars looked even more terrifying as his muscles bulged.

He grabbed Chen Qing by the collar, lifting the gaunt scholar into the air. A rusty dagger was held against Chen Qing's throat, the sharp blade already breaking through the skin, drawing out tiny beads of blood.

"What nonsense are you spouting? Do you really think I wouldn't dare kill you?"

Zhaxi Dawa roared through clenched teeth, spitting all over Chen Qing's face.

"It would be easier for me to crush you than an ant!"

Chen Qing did not flinch at all; instead, she slightly raised her chin and pressed her slender neck against the cold blade.

He squinted, his face full of rapture and admiration.

"A fine knife! Heavy and solid!"

Just like a great man like the general, possessing unparalleled heroic spirit!

"You..."

Zhaxi Dawa's wrist stiffened, and he subconsciously pulled the knife back half a step, putting down the Chen Qing.

Taking advantage of this moment, Chen Qing, despite having her hands tied behind her back, obediently leaned into Zhaxi Dawa's arms.

He looked down at Zhaxi Dawa's leather combat boots, stained with mud and frozen blood, a look of pity flashing in his eyes, before kneeling down again, disregarding his dignity.

He carefully rubbed the cloth on his knees to wipe away the dirt from the boots.

"How could a general, a figure descended from heaven, allow such filth to soil his battle boots?"

As he wiped the Chen Qing, he looked up at Zhaxi Dawa with sincere eyes.

"I not only have the defense map of Bronze Gorge, but also a list of Prince An's spies within the pass."

If only the general would grant my request...

I will certainly help the general to conquer Yi Prefecture and take Anyang!

At that time, Great Yan Kingdom will be yours, General!

"Not only does Prince An me, Prince Yi also listens to my every word..."

Zhaxi Dawa felt a chill run down his spine, and an indescribable feeling of nausea shot straight to his head.

He kicked Chen Qing to the ground, strode back to the commander's chair, grabbed the rough leather whip from the table, pointed it at the guards, and roared fiercely.

"Bullshit!"

What are you bragging about here?

Beat me up! Beat me hard!

Beat him until he tells the truth, beat him until he swallows all the filth in his mouth!

The two guards snapped out of their daze, grabbed leather whips soaked in salt water, and began lashing the Chen Qing on the ground repeatedly.

"Slap! Slap! Slap!"

The sound of the whip tearing flesh echoed in the tent. Chen Qing's thin cotton robe was instantly ripped to shreds, and purplish-red welts appeared on his back.

However, the expected pleas for mercy and screams did not occur.

Chen Qing lay on the ground, gasping for breath as he was being slapped, yet he still managed to turn his head with difficulty to greet Zhaxi Dawa, who was sitting at the head of the table.

"General... please don't be angry... anger harms the liver..."

"I... it hurts... to see you."

"Crack!" A whip lashed across his back.

"Ouch... why are these two young men using so much force...?"

General, look at them, they're not using their wrists correctly... they're just exhausting themselves for no reason..."

"Crack!" Another lash of the whip.

"General... your dagger is rusty... after you've finished drawing... I'll sharpen it for you..."

My knife-sharpening skills are... absolutely superb...

"General... are you married...?"

The two Tubo men in charge of the execution were panting heavily, and their whips were being swung slower and slower.

They'd beaten countless tough guys, but they'd never seen a monster like this—getting beaten while simultaneously fussing over their leader's well-being, his eyes fixed on his chest.

The two guards exchanged a glance, their whips stopping abruptly in mid-air. They turned to look at Zhaxi Dawa, their eyes filled with pleading and fear.

Zhaxi Dawa sat on the commander's chair, his hands gripping the armrests tightly, the veins on the back of his hands throbbing like earthworms.

For the first time in my life, I felt a sense of unease and powerlessness that I had never experienced even when facing a massive enemy army.

This is not human.

This guy is a tough nut to crack, a madman, a vengeful ghost who can disgust a living person to death!

"Enough, enough! Drag him away!"

Zhaxi Dawa kicked over the charcoal brazier in front of him, sparks flying. He pressed his throbbing temples and roared hysterically.

"Lock this piece of trash in an iron cage! Throw him behind the kitchen and freeze him!!"

The guards, as if granted a pardon, rushed forward, grabbed Chen Qing's feet, and dragged him out of the tent.

Chen Qing was dragged on the ground, his head slamming heavily against the threshold, yet he still desperately raised his head and shouted at Zhaxi Dawa inside the tent:

"General! I'll be waiting for you right behind you!"

"It's windy tonight, so remember to close the tent flap tightly and don't catch a cold!"

[Thanks to: First Year's Character Summoning, sereinwz's Update Urging Charms x2, Qiang Ge, Xianyu's Capsule, Ku, Zhao Lao's Likes, Xue Lin, Yan Yan's Flowers, Shenggong, Eight O'Clock's Love Letter, and everyone else for their love and support!]